


Resignation

by Nomil



Category: Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona Series
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, Subtle Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-25 23:15:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12543436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomil/pseuds/Nomil
Summary: It's only a matter of time before they are freed from this place and Rei can start the life she's always wanted.Will it matter to her if Zen is still a part of it?





	Resignation

**Author's Note:**

> Finally decided to brush the dust off this ol' drabble and post it here. Persona Q is still a thing, right?  
> .........Right?

Zen stood still in the middle of the hallway- a lone rock amidst a sea of students. It was unlike him to obstruct traffic in such a manner, if at all. And it wasn’t like his presence there bothered the phantom students one bit anyway. But there was a very particular reason for his placement.

He was unable to find Rei.

Normally they were inseparable. It was their trademark. The others coined phrases such as ‘two peas in a pod’ and ‘a package deal.’ The meanings of such remarks flew over Zen’s head completely. But the more unsuccessful his search became, the more appealing being one of two peas in a pod with Rei sounded.  Even if he still didn’t quite know what the significance of being a vegetable with someone was.

Zen didn’t like to ask for help. The thought had never even crossed his mind to begin with. But he figured that he could at least inquire someone about Rei’s whereabouts, or her last known location. He started with Yu and Makoto- who were discussing battle strategies for the current dungeon. But neither of them had seen Rei.

Kanji and Ken were working on yet another sewing project together. They’d been far too immersed in it to have noticed anyone, really. The occupants of the Velvet Room were off doing their usual jobs. Teddie was unsuccessfully trying to woo Aigis yet again. Mitsuru and Yukari were scolding Junpei about a remark of his. Zen nearly got a lead out of Shinjiro but Akihiko butted in with something or other and suddenly, the both of them were at each other’s throats. But even if they were fighting, at least they were together, Zen thought. Somehow, this entire endeavor made him ache deep on the inside of his chest. It felt like a heavy weight- threatening to drag him down to the floor.

What were these feelings?

It wasn’t like this was the very first time they’d ever been apart. Ever since all their new friends had shown up, Rei had been a lot more independent. Zen could understand that. She had to get tired of his continuous presence sooner or later. But the thought made the ache in his chest return so he chose not to think of it any longer.

_“Arf!”_

A sudden bark at his feet caught Zen’s attention, and he found himself looking down at Koromaru, who was wagging his tail.

“What is it, Koromaru?”

The dog barked yet again and began walking away. But after just a few steps, he turned to look at Zen.

“...Do you want me to follow you?”

Koromaru barked once more and turned back around to keep walking. Zen simply took that as a yes.

The two of them walked through various halls of the school, with the crowds getting more and more sparse as they moved along. At the end of one hall was a classroom with an open door which Koromaru trotted right into. The chatter that they’d once been able to hear practically exploded into a chorus of excited squeals.

“Hello, Koro-chan! Did you come just to see us?,” a voice cried. Zen recognized it as Rise’s.

He himself entered the classroom not long after.

As he peered in from his place in the doorway, Rise’s presence was confirmed, along with that of the others he’d failed to run into during his search around the school. Naoto, Fuuka, Chie, Yukiko and Rise sat in chairs around a few desks they’d pushed together to serve as a sort of makeshift table- which was covered in snacks and drinks.

Ah, yes. This must have been the “girl talk” he’d heard so much about. According to Teddie, girl talk was when girls sat together to discuss their love for boys and makeup and such. He’d been ready to say more, but was promptly cut off with a good whap to the head courtesy of Chie.  Therefore, the remainder was a mystery.  But the contents of this girl talk didn’t matter to Zen. All that mattered was one thing.

“Zen!”

Sitting there among the girls was none other than Rei. Koromaru sat at her feet, wagging his tail as she’d begun to pet his head. A wave of relief washed over Zen. But despite that, and the sweet way that Rei had called out to him, the ache in his chest only intensified.

“Rei. So this is where you’ve been.”

“Uh-huh. Everyone was telling these really great stories! I didn’t want to miss anything!”

She smiled brightly- in such a way that made him feel heavy all over.

“I thought you were alone...but I’m glad you aren’t,” Zen said in his usual, monotonous tone.

It was a good cover up for the way he was feeling right now. Even if he still couldn’t quite explain it.

“Nope. I’ve been having a lot of fun with everyone here!”

“Did you want to join us, Zen-kun?,” Naoto asked politely.

But Zen shook his head.

“No thank you. Now that I know Rei is safe, I can be at ease. Please excuse me.”

And before anything more could be said, he turned to leave.

 

He wasn’t needed there.

 

It made a lot of sense. Rei had always been with Zen because he was her only option. She would have been alone otherwise. But with so many new people around, she didn’t need to cling to him so. Rei had so many new friends who could bring her food and make her smile and keep her company.

But perhaps the hardest thing for Zen to admit was that he wasn’t the only one who could protect her anymore.

Zen didn’t know where these feelings came from. Had they appeared out of the blue? Or had they been lying dormant for some time now- growing and festering inside him until he couldn’t suppress them any longer.

It was a mystery, but one that didn’t seem very appealing to solve.

In the midst of Zen’s deep pondering, a sudden breeze called him back to reality, and he found that he was now on the roof of the school. He’d been walking without even realizing it. But rather than turn around and head back inside, he chose to accept this development and step out farther and farther until he came to the edge.  
Before him was the fence surrounding the roof’s perimeter. And far beyond that was the clock tower that stood- tall and foreboding. Merely looking at it gave Zen an uneasy feeling, and it reminded him that they were still stuck there.

That  _ Rei _ was still stuck there.

Zen had been fighting for so long now. He’d been searching for a way to get Rei out of this place. She always talked about how she wanted to go to school with everyone and try all the wonderful things that they’d told her about.

Yosuke had told her that when they got out, he’d treat her to dessert at a place called Junes. Junpei had promised to teach her how to play a game called baseball. Rise wanted to teach Rei how to style her hair and do her makeup.

They all had something to offer her. And he had nothing.

Zen had never been able to give Rei much of anything from the beginning. All along he’d thought that he could offer his protection. But he couldn’t even do that on his own now.

  
Rei deserved so much better than him. How she managed to flourish and shine in a place like this baffled Zen. Every day, she managed to smile in the sweet way she always did. She praised Zen for the smallest of things. She looked forward to the most mundane of tasks. Zen could only imagine how she’d thrive if she weren’t stuck here. How she would blossom once she was free from this place.

She was like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web; so beautiful, but utterly trapped.

And Zen would do whatever it took to free her.

“There you are, Zen!”

An all too familiar voice called to him, but he did not turn to look at the person who it belonged to. Though it seemed there was no need, for Rei strode right up to stand beside him.   
For a few moments, there was nothing but silence. Zen allowed himself to glance to the side without turning his head. Rei stood still- her long hair lightly fluttering in the breeze. Her eyes looked on ahead towards the horizon.

Everything about her was lovely. Just looking at her like this made the ache in his chest return. Along with a pang of...something else. It wasn’t unfamiliar. But Zen didn’t know how to describe it. He only knew what it made him want to do.

He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her hair that shone like silk. He wanted to hold her close and keep her there for all time. He wanted to tell her about all these confusing things that she made him feel.

He  _ wanted _ so badly.

But he couldn’t allow himself to partake.

“Zen?...Do you think I have happy memories?”

Zen turned his whole head to look at Rei this time. A neutral, unmoving expression was fixed upon her face. But as he noted that her gaze was fixed upon the clock tower, he saw it.

He saw the fear in her eyes.

“Rei...what makes you say that?”

“First the rabbit, and then the ring...everything we find makes me feel so scared.”

Her voice was quiet and nearly trembling now, and she clutched the hem of her long, yellow blouse tightly.

“I can’t help but feel that when we reach the end of all this and I get my memories back, that I won’t like them. What if that happens, Zen?”

She paused for a moment. Seemingly to try and swallow down the lump that was forming in her throat.

“What if I don’t like the person that I was…?”

“...Should that even matter?,” Zen said at last, breaking the silence that may have stretched on forever.

Rei turned to look up at Zen- whatever urge she had to cry immediately dissipating.

“What do you mean?”

“The person you were back then shouldn’t matter now. To begin with, I doubt that you ever had the capability to be a terrible person. But even if you were, you’ve more than proven yourself to be a good person now. You care so much for everyone around you. You’re always healing everyone in battle and sharing your food. And…”

He trailed off for a moment, his hand coming up to touch the base of the yellow collar around his neck.

“You made this for me with your own two hands. Is all of that still not enough to show how good of a person you are?”

Rei was silent. Not because she didn’t believe him. But because she never could have anticipated hearing such things from Zen. It was unlike him to be so utterly profound, at least out loud.

Rei knew that he was far smarter than she was. But he was so quiet and reserved that sometimes it was hard to tell. 

“Rei,” Zen continued.

Her silence made him somewhat nervous. He’d begun to fear that she was still considering the possibility of her being a bad person, and he didn’t want that. So he took her hands in his and let their eyes meet- fearing that his words wouldn’t reach her any other way.

“No matter what the truth may reveal, I will never stop caring about you.”

He sounded so sure, but his hands that held hers so tightly had begun to tremble somewhat.

“When we get out of this place, I won’t have anything to offer you, Rei. Nothing except my company...but even then, I shall stay by your side if you let me.”

“Zen…,” she said- the sound of his name lingering in the air for a long moment.

It felt as though time had come to a standstill with the way they just stood there. Zen’s feet felt like lead on the ground, and he couldn’t bring himself to look at Rei. No matter how much he wanted to.

“Zen...you dummy!”

The sudden outburst startled Zen, and it was just the jolt he needed to finally get him to look at her again. Rei’s cheeks were tinged a shade of bright pink- her brows furrowed as she gave him a fierce pout.

“How could you even think something like that!?”

“I...I don’t understand…”

Zen’s expression was still unmoving from its neutral state as always, but if one looked closely, they might see the tiniest hint of perplexion within his eyes.

“I should be the one asking to stay by  _ your _ side, Zen. You’re always protecting me and you don’t get mad about anything. Even after I said such horrible things to you and caused so much trouble…”

Her pout faded away, and she looked at Zen with glistening eyes- moisture brimming and threatening to spill over. Yet despite that, she smiled.

“Zen. No matter where we are, I always want to be with you. So...so don’t doubt yourself like that, okay?”

She turned her palms over within Zen’s and entwined their fingers, her blush deepening slightly.

A light gasp escaped Zen and was carried off into the breeze, along with any doubts and fears he’d had up until that point. Rei... _ wanted  _ him to be with her. She wanted his company. She wanted his protection and his support.

 

Rei wanted  _ him _ .

 

A sudden rush of warmth filled his chest and made it swell and Zen felt like he was on air. He wouldn’t have traded that moment for anything else in the world. He wouldn’t trade any of this time he had spent with her. Because she was the most precious person in his life, and he would do everything within his power to ensure that they would always be together.

“Rei…”

Unable to ignore the newest impulse that suddenly came to the forefront of his mind, Zen brought both of Rei’s hands to his lips to kiss them, which only reduced the poor girl to a flustered, stammering mess.

“Ahh, ahhhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhhh!”

She quickly pulled away from him and buried her face in her hands, as though the action would somehow make her disappear. She’d gone and said all those things and now...and now…

A strong pair of arms wrapped around the tiny blonde girl, making her go still as a statue.

“Thank you,” Zen murmured.

Rei was still frozen in slight shock, and now her cheeks were redder than ever before. But rather than go off into a tangent of embarrassment once more, she managed to smile just the tiniest bit and return the embrace. Slowly, but surely.

Time froze once more for the pair, allowing them to bask in the warmth and comfort of that moment- simply wrapped in one another’s arms. It felt like an eternity before they parted.

“Zen, Rei!”

The pair turned to look and see Yosuke peeking out from the doorway.

“Narukami wants us all to meet up in twenty minutes in front of the Velvet Room. We’re gonna have a group meeting.”

“Okay. Thanks, Yosuke-kun!”

Rei smiled and offered him a little wave as he took his leave.

As though on cue, the both of them turned to look up at the clock tower once more. The winds picked up and made Zen’s cape billow behind him.   
Nothing more was said. Nothing more _needed_ to be said.

  
Because as their hands found each other once more, that alone said more than either of them ever could have.


End file.
